Don't Ditch the Laptop Just Yet: A Direct Replication of Mueller and Oppenheimer's (2014) Study 1 Plus Mini Meta-Analyses Across Similar Studies

In this direct replication of Mueller and Oppenheimer's (2014) Study 1, participants watched a lecture while taking notes with a laptop (n = 74) or longhand (n = 68). After a brief distraction and without the opportunity to study, they took a quiz. As in the original study, laptop participants took notes containing more words spoken verbatim by the lecturer and more words overall than did longhand participants. However, laptop participants did not perform better than longhand participants on the quiz. Exploratory meta-analyses of eight similar studies echoed this pattern. In addition, in both the original study and our replication, higher word count was associated with better quiz performance, and higher verbatim overlap was associated with worse quiz performance, but the latter finding was not robust in our replication. Overall, results do not support the idea that longhand note taking improves immediate learning via better encoding of information.

Autologous blood injection for late-onset filtering bleb leak

PURPOSE

To report the outcomes of autologous blood injections for late-onset filtering bleb leak.

METHODS

Retrospective chart review of all eyes that had autologous blood injection(s) for filtering bleb leak occurring at least 2 months after trabeculectomy at the Indiana University Medical Center. Successful treatment was defined as resolution of the bleb leak and no need for additional glaucoma medications. Failure was defined as a persistent bleb leak, intraocular pressure greater than 21 mm Hg, or the occurrence of a vision-threatening event related to the procedure.

RESULTS

Thirty-two eyes of 31 patients had autologous blood injection for filtering bleb leak and were followed for a mean of 4.9 months (SD, 9.2; range, 1 to 37 months). Twenty-three eyes (72%) were outright failures because of persistence of the leak. Nine eyes (28%) had an initially successful outcome, but the success rate decreased over time as bleb leaks recurred in three of the nine eyes at 5, 6, and 37 months. No patient characteristics correlated with outcome. Mean intraocular pressure increased from pretreatment to final examination (4.5 to 6.5 mm Hg, P =.003). Mean logarithm of minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) vision remained unchanged from pretreatment to final examination (P =.55). Blood seepage into the anterior chamber after autologous blood injection was common but transient.

CONCLUSIONS

Autologous blood injection is of limited success in treating late-onset filtering bleb leak.

Morin hydrate: a better protector than purpurogallin of corneal endothelial cell damage induced by xanthine oxidase and SIN-1

PURPOSE

Free radicals are responsible for tissue injury in corneal preservation and transplantation. Morin hydrate, a flavonoid from Brazil wood, has been shown to be cytoprotective in several types of cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of morin hydrate on rabbit corneal endothelial cells against damage induced by oxyradicals and nitric oxide.

METHODS

Corneal endothelial cell cultures were prepared from New Zealand white rabbits, using standard microcarrier technique. Two free-radical-generating systems were used-17 IU/L xanthine oxidase/1 mM hypoxanthine and 5 mM 3-morpholinosydnonimine-N-ethylcarbamide (SIN-1, a nitric oxide-donating agent).

RESULTS

Over 95% of cultured corneal endothelial cells necrosed within 3.6 +/- 1.5 min after exposure to xanthine oxidase/hypoxanthine. Adding morin hydrate delayed cell necrosis to 5.8 +/- 0.3 min (0.25 mM morin hydrate), 13.3 +/- 5.0 min (0.5 mM), and 41.5 +/- 8.6 min (1.0 mM). Exposed to nitric oxide generated by SIN-1, cells necrosed by 9.5 +/- 2.5 min, versus 14.1 +/- 1.3 min (0.25 mM morin hydrate), 27.2 +/- 2.0 min (0.5 mM), and 43.3 +/- 5.4 min (1.0 mM). Morin hydrate significantly prolonged survival of cells compared to equimolar concentrations of purpurogallin, Trolox, or ascorbate (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates that morin hydrate behaves as a broad-spectrum antioxidant: it scavenges not only xanthine oxidase/hypoxanthine-generated oxyradicals, but also nonenzymatic, nitrogen-derived radicals, better than those above mentioned antioxidants. This property of morin hydrate may help prevent free radical damage in corneal preservation solutions.

Effective communication using a speech aid for a postlaryngectomy patient undergoing regional anesthesia: a case report

A 73-year-old postlaryngectomy male with a tracheostomy was admitted for bladder biopsy and right retrograde pyelogram. At the preoperative visit, the patient was able to communicate effectively only after the suggestion was made to use his speech aid. The patient was asked to bring his Servox Inton electrolarynx to the operating room. The patient received a spinal anesthetic. Adequate communication during the 150-minute procedure was maintained using his speech aid. Postlaryngectomy voicelessness is a cause of psychological trauma in the postlaryngectomy patient. Different techniques have been proposed for producing sounds. An artificial larynx can be used for the postlaryngectomy patient while, or instead of, learning other types of speech. To prevent the possibility of electrical shock while using a metal encased electrolarynx in conjunction with an electrosurgical unit, we recommend removing the metal housing. When intubating a patient with a speech prosthesis in a surgically created tracheoesophageal puncture, we suggest removing the prosthesis and stenting the tracheoesophageal puncture with a catheter. This will prevent both disloding of the speech prosthesis and closure of the fistula. It is important for the anesthetist to become familiar with speech aids in order to establish effective communication with postlaryngectomy patients.

Nifedipine pretreatment for prevention of autonomic hyperreflexia during anesthesia-free extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy

Nifedipine, a calcium channel blocker, has been used to treat autonomic hyperreflexia in quadriplegics undergoing invasive urological procedures. We present a case of autonomic hyperreflexia triggered by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in which nifedipine was used successfully to treat the hypertensive crisis on 1 occasion and subsequently it was used prophylactically to prevent the crisis in the same patient.